China Warns Obama Against Meeting With Dalai Lama

Posted on Feb 2, 2010

The Chinese government has issued a warning to the White House that there will be consequences of a diplomatic nature if President Barack Obama goes ahead with a rumored plan to meet the Dalai Lama in Washington later this month. A representative from the Chinese Communist Party hinted vaguely at undesirable outcomes if Obama spends face time with the Tibetan Buddhist leader, claiming that China will “take corresponding action to make relevant countries see their mistakes,” which certainly doesn’t sound ideal. —KA

BBC:

“If the US leader chooses to meet with the Dalai Lama at this time, it will certainly threaten trust and co-operation between China and the United States,” said Mr Zhu, executive deputy minister of the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department.

[...] “We oppose any attempt by foreign forces to interfere in China’s internal affairs using the Dalai Lama as an excuse,” he said.

“If they [the US] don’t recognise that Tibet is part of China, it will seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations.”